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The Indicator | November 6, 2026

By Sonal Gandhi
The Lead

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THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS

  • In this week’s noteworthy brand collaborations: Alice + Olivia joins forces with Coca-Cola, while Nordstrom taps David Bowie’s estate for its holiday push.
  • Shifting marketing strategies: TV and CTV/streaming ads claim the top spot for brand playbooks this holiday season.
  • Discover how your AI integration measures up against industry benchmarks in our new benchmark report.

Image via: WWD

KEY INDICATORS​

  • Alice + Olivia has debuted an exclusive collaboration with Coca-Cola to mark the iconic beverage brand’s 140th anniversary. Blending Alice + Olivia’s signature whimsical, vibrant aesthetic with Coca-Cola’s classic appeal, the collection features a 21-piece capsule comprising 14 ready-to-wear pieces, three accessories, and four Stace Face Coca-Cola designs, with price points spanning $250 to $2,995. (WWD)
  • Depop has tripled the number of college campuses where it has a presence through its Campus Manager and is planning over 2,000 campus events over the next 12 weeks. To kick off the season of events, Depop is launching Depop After Class, its first-ever campus tour, with in-person marketplaces, live performances and product customization stations. (Glossy)
  • Supreme’s US direct-to-consumer sales surged over 35% in early 2026 after previous declines, fueled by growing adoption among 18-to-34-year-olds and expanded reach across income groups. This turnaround reflects the brand’s commitment to its core identity, driving increased web traffic, strong secondhand performance, and high engagement through innovative designer, artist, and cross-generational collaborations. (BoF)
  • Shopify announced that AI agents including Claude Duet, Grok Bot, Instinct can use Shop Pay to checkout and buy items people are searching for on these AI platforms. It means shoppers can discover and search for items on Muse or Instinct and then complete that transaction on Shop Pay—Shopify’s digital wallet. Merchants don’t have to have Shopify powered stores. (Retail Brew) 

  • Nordstrom’s latest campaign deliberately avoids standard holiday clichés. The spot opens with “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” only for a character to request a change in music. To stand out, Nordstrom partnered exclusively with David Bowie’s estate to release merchandise for the late singer’s upcoming 80th birthday. Merging his January birthday with the holiday season, the campaign centers on two young dancers who perform an impromptu Christmas morning routine to Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” for their family. (Glossy)

  • Modern Retail’s latest survey details how marketing tactics are shifting for the 2026 holiday season. The most significant momentum is behind TV and CTV/streaming ads, which saw year-over-year surges of 20 and 22 percentage points, respectively. While brand experiences held the top spot for holiday marketing tactics last year, streaming/CTV ads have claimed the lead for 2026, pushing experiences down to second place. Meanwhile, retailers and brands are pulling back from traditional gift guides as well as influencer unboxing videos and hauls this season. (Modern Retail)

LEADING SPOTLIGHT

The Lead Research Report: The State of AI Adoption in Retail

AI adoption is entering a new phase across retail and consumer brands. While many organizations have moved beyond personal experimentation toward structured implementation, few are fundamentally redesigning business functions around the technology. Based on over 70 interviews with executives at today’s leading brands, our research identified five approaches to AI adoption, ranging from deliberate caution to AI-native reinvention. Explore the findings in our latest research report.

 

Read the full report.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

  • Nitin Tyagi (Direct 60 NEXT ‘25) has been promoted to Senior Director, AI & Platform Tools Product at Tapestry.

 

Have exciting career moves? Email contact@the-lead.co 

PRESENTED BY —

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